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Introduction

Previous Planning – The Bike 2000 Plan

In 2001, Bicycling Magazine selected
Chicago as the best “big” city (over one million people) for bicycling
in North America.1 This recognition was due in large part to the success
of the Bike 2000 Plan. Prepared in 1992 by the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory
Council, the plan has 31 recommendations to encourage bicycling in Chicago.
There has been significant progress on every recommendation, including:

Establishing
a network of 100 miles of on-street bike lanes and 50 miles of off-street
trails

Installing 10,000 bike racks, more than any
city in the United States

Permitting bicycles on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains and equipping
their fleet of 2,000 buses with racks that carry bikes

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite these successes, many challenges remain. Chicago’s roads are clogged
with traffic. Motorists spend hours stuck in traffic. Tailpipe emissions
from automobiles and trucks account for almost half of Chicago’s air
pollution,3 contributing to asthma and other respiratory problems suffered
by more than 650,000 children and adults in Metropolitan Chicago.4 Inactive
lifestyles may be contributing to an "obesity epidemic" in Chicago, with
more than 20 percent of the city’s children and 60 percent of the adults
overweight or clinically obese.5,6 Finally, dependence on the private automobile
is expensive. Households in the Chicago region spend an average of 17 percent
of their budgets, or $7,500 per year, on transportation.7

These transportation
and public health issues create challenges and opportunities that bicycling
programs can address. Bicycling is a viable means of transportation in
Chicago. The city is flat and compact, with destinations often nearby. Almost
60 percent of all trips made by Chicago residents are three miles or less,
distances well suited for bicycling.8 Making these trips
by bicycle would:

The Bike 2015 Plan –
Development and Implementation

Preparation of the Bike 2015 Plan began in 2002 when the Chicago
Department of Transportation retained the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
to help develop the plan. Public, city staff, and other stakeholder involvement
were essential to the plan’s development. Key activities included three
public meetings with 235 people in attendance, 50 meetings with senior
staff of agencies responsible for implementing the plan, and 10 meetings
with the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council. The Bike
2015 Plan was approved
by the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Council on September 21, 2005.

Implementation
of the Bike 2015 Plan depends on four factors: a commitment by key city
agencies to implement the recommended strategies; significant and sustained
funding, particularly by prioritizing bicycle projects in federal transportation
grant programs; continued political support; and a strong partnership
with Chicago’s bicycling community.